Box strapping apparatus



July 4, 1933. E. D. TUBBs 1,916,940

BOX STRAP? ING APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l July 4,1933. E. D. TUBES BOX STRAPPING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March5, 1930 July 4, 1933. E D TUBES 1,916,940

Box STRAPPING APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m 0 NSwanton July 4, 1933. E. D. TUBBS 39916'940 BOX STRAPPING APPARATUSFiled March 5, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 dbtoz may,

July 49 E33.. E. D. TUBES ,9l6,94

BOX STRAPPING APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1930 5 Sheets--Sheeil 5 attoz unaPatented July 4f, 1933 EARL D. TUBES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOX STRAPIHG APPARATUS Application filed March 5,

This invention relates generally to an apparatus orv device forstrapping boXes or bales, or the like, and the improvements are directedto novel and unique means for applying, tensioning, twisting andsevering the material, such as wire, used in strapping said boxes.

Primarily, the object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a device of the above-mentioned character which is exceedinglycompact, relatively light in weight, and which has its exposed operativeparts arranged to preclude injury to the operator and which handles thematerial to be twisted in a manner to prevent bruising the hands of themanipulator of said device.

Another object is the provision of a gripping mechanism adapted toclinch one end of. the wire in a manner to prevent slippage thereofduring the tensioning or tightening of said wire around a bale or box,said mechanism being adapted to become more effective as the tension onthe wire is increased.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel automatic droplatch means, directly associated with said gripping mechanism, andadapted to secure the wires in juxtaposition and to maintain the same inthis condition during the operation of the tensioning means and thetwisting operation. Said latch means also facilitating the freeing ofthe twisted wire and removal of the device.- from a box or bale.

Still another object is to provide a tension ing or tighteningmechanism, including certain operative parts whereby the wire attachedthereto is prevented from slipping duringv the tightening operation.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of anovel clamping device, in the form of a star drum, said drum beingoperatively connected to said tensioning mechanism and adapted topositively maintain an intimate auti-siip relation between the same andthe wire.

A. still further object is to provide certain braking means whichcooperates with certain rotative parts to prevent the operation thereofprior to the twisting of the wire and during 1930. Serial No. 433,478.

the placement of the wire into the device, said braking means alsoserving to stop the operation of the device, after the twistingoperation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel assemblageof parts adapted to be operated to twist the wire after it has beentensioned and suitably applied to a box or bale.

Another aim is to provide periodically operable mechanism, in the formof oscillatory arms, adapted to be operated to bring certain cuttingmeans in proper spaced relation to sever the undesired ends of thetwisted wire.

The invention is featured by th-e provision of certain cutting meanswhich are borne by said oscillatory arms and which are adapted to cutoff the wire at the terminals of the twisted portion thereof and tosnugly bend said cut ends in close proximity to the wire.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide means whereby thetwisting operation is continued sufficiently beyond the cuttingoperation in order that the ends of the wire may be bent up and down,respectively, and arranged in close relation to the uncut portions ofthe wire.

As will presently appear the invention is further featured by theprovision of carrying means whereby a perfect balance may be maintainedduring the portage of the device and further said device is adapted tohandle wire from coils or pre-cut lengths thereof. A subsidiary featureof the invention also is present in the form of a novel form of casingmember adapted to completely inclose the operative parts of the device,and which is uniquely formed to render the device eX- ceedingly compact,said casing being readily removable to expose the mechanism of thedevice and to permit removal or replacement of the parts thereof.

lVith these objects in view, together with others which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation,combination, and arrangement of parts, all as will bedescribed morefully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointedout in the claim.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the mechanism of said device, (slightlyenlarged), the casing being sectioned and partly broken away at theright to expose a portion of the tensioning means.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation 0f the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, the casingbeing sectioned.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the mechanism with the casing removed.

Fig. 7 is a. sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. G and showingthe parts in the positions :assumed just prior to the twistingoperation.

Fig. 8 -is `a view like unto Fig. 7, but showing .the positions ofcertain .parts subsequent to the twisting .and sever-ing operations.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view., slightly enlarged, of the parts destined totwist the wire, .said section being taken substantially on lthe line 9-9of Fig. 5.

Fig. l`is .an enlarged `side elevation of the rotative element .shown inFig. 9.

11 is a central sectional view thereof, taken on the .line 11-11 of Fig.10.

12 is an end elevation of one of the tubular or barrel .members shown inFig. 9.

13 is a` sectional view of the .rotative element and its cooperatingbarrel members and diagrammatically illustrating the twisted overlappingends of the wire and the bent condition of the cut ends thereof.`

Fig. .14 is a face view of vthe star drum showing diagrammatically thecondition of' the end of the wire clamped thereby after the tensioningoperation.

Referring now more in detail to the yaccompanying drawings, wherein.like characters of reference denote similar .parts throughout .theseveral views, let 1 denote a base, `adapted to support substantially7all the operative parts of the device, said base being provided with apair of spaced standards 2 and 3, which are suitably bored to rotativelysupport a stub shaft v4,the latterhaving a spur gear pinned intermediatethe lends thereof as vshown at 6, in Fig. 6. The outer ends of vsaidshaft 4 are each provided with hub '7 and 8, suitably splined theretoas'indicated in Fig. '7, each of 'said hubs being provided with a radialprojection', adapted to periodically actuate certain oscillatory'ar1n's,bearling certain fcntting elements, as will presently appear.Upon inspection of Figs'. .3;an'd 7, it will be noted that said base `lis provided with "an upstanding ear and a block 11, the latter beingclearly shown at the extreme left in Figs. Y3 and '6, said ear and blockbeing suitably apertured for the reception of screws 12 and 13respectively., `which are adapted to serve Lelaeao as pivotal bearingsfor the ends of the oscillatory arms 14 and 15. Said oscillatory armsare somewhat similar in construction, each being provided with aforwardly di rected block portion 16, (see Figs. 6 and 7) havingvertical bores 17 and lateral bores 18, intercommunicating, saidvertical bores being adapted to receive cutters 19 and 19a, the formerbeing associated with the oscillatory arm and the latter with theoscillatory .arm 16 as shown in Fig. 3. Said cutters may be adj ustedvertically by operating a set screw 2() in each of said blocks 1G, whileset screws 21 serve to bind said cutters in their proper adjustedcondition.

As shown in Figs. 5 Vand 6, said base 1 is also provided with a block 22which extends forwardly of the front :edge Vof said base andintermediate the length thereof, and which rises upwardly to defineprojections 23 and 24 having a space therebetween for the partialreception of said spur gear 5. The details oit-said block 22 will bereadily understood upon reference to Fig. `9, wherein it will be notedthat the same is provided with bores 25 4and 26, coaxially .arrangedvand leading into .the openingZT which latter receives a rotative element.28 enineshed with spur gear 5, and obviously rotated thereby.

The means for `rotatively supporting said rotative element 2S comprisesa pair of tubular elements 29 and 30 which are'hel-d' stationary in thebores 25 and 26 respectively., by means :of set screws-32 and 32a, theinner ends of said elements 29 and 30 extending into recesses 33 andrespectively, of .said rotative element 2S. In view of this4arrangement.said element28 is free to rota-te on the ends of saidtubular elements 29 `and 30, the l-atters of course remainingstationary. Upon reference to Fig. 10 it will -be noted that saidrotative element 28 is provided with a radial slot which flaresoutwardly ltoward the periphery of said element, and in Figs. 9 and 1Qit will be observed that Veach of the tubular clementsQQ and arechambered assho-wn yat 36 and 37, while the outer ends of said yelementsare slotted as indicated at 3S and 30, the chambers and slots in saidtubular elements and the slot 'in said rotative element 2S being.coaxially arranged, and in communication with a longitudinal opening 40in said block 2Q. As will presently appear, this arrangement permits theentrance of the wire into the respective slots and chambers ot saidtubular-elements and said rotative element.4 by wav of said opening 40.

The parts just described include the general mechanism for twisting theoverlapping ends of the wire :and it is apparent that the rotation ofthe spur gear 5 places the said parts in operation. Now it becomesnecessary to provide means for rotating said gear 5, and to this end 1have adopted a crank 41., carried by one yend of the shaft 42, which isjournal-led tubular elements 29 and 30, as aforesaid.

Y the same time the hubs 7 and 8, carried by the in the side of thecasing 43, as shown at 44, the inner end of said shaft` being rotativelymounted in apertured bearing 45, depending from the top of said casing,while the extremity of said shaft, adjacent said bearing, is providedwith a pinion 46, suitably splined thereto, as indicated at 47, in Fig.4. rlhe splined collar 48, (see Fig. 3) prevents the withdrawal of saidshaft 42 during its operation. From the foregoing it is obvious that themanipulation of said crank 41 rotates said pinion 46, the movement ofthe latter being communicated to spur gear k5, and thence to therotative element 28 journaled in the stub shaft 4, are rota-ting, and atpre-determined intervals the projections 9 of said hubs will encounterthe oscillatoryl arms and 16 and thus bring the cutters 19 and "19a intooperative positions. At this time it is briefly pointed out that therotationvofsaid rotative elementl 28, through the intermediary of thespur gear 5 and pinion 46, creates the twist in the overlapping ends ofthe wire, while the cutters, operated by the oscillatory j arms, clipsoff the undesired ends of the wire just subsequent to the twistingoperation. The details of said operations will be taken uphereinafter.

The gripping mechanism, referred to in the objects of the invention, ismounted to rotate in the block 11, located at the left end of the base1, in Figs. 3 and 6, said mechanism including a stub shaft 49,rotatively mounted in said block 11, one end of said shaft 49 beingsuitably affixed to head 50, carrying on operative lever 51, there beinga ypinned collar 52 atliXed to said -shaft 49 at the other side of saidblock 11 to maintain the parts in positive fixed relation. In said Fig.3 it will be noted that said head 5() is provided with a shoulder 53which abuts the stop pin 54, carried by said block 11 to limit themovement of said head. Said head 56 is further provided with a diametricbore 55, for the reception of a pointed pin 56 which is adjustablevertically by operating the set screw 57 and which is bound in itsproper adjusted position by means of another setscrew 58. As shown inFigs. 3 and 4, said block 11 is provided with a ledge 59 for thereception of one strand vof the wire to be twisted and in order topreclude the chances of unduewear, I propose to insert a wear pin 59a insaid block, said pin being held in place by means of a set screw 60.

The automatic drop latch means referred to, comprises a latch member 6l,which is pivotally supported between the ears 62 rising from said base1, (see Figs. 4 and 6), as indicated at 63, the forward or head portionof said latch 61 being undercut, as shown at 64, to present a. verticalsurface extending in spacedparallel relation to the face of said block11 to maintain the wires in juxtaposed relation during the twistingoperation. It will be noted 'that a laterally directed pin 65 extendsacross the upper rear edge of said latch 61, (see Fig. 6), and it isobvious that as the lever 51, of said gripping mechanism, is movedupwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3, said pin 65 is caused tobear against the edge of said-latch 61 and cause the head portion torise to permit the ref7 afiiXed tor one end and a hub portion 7 Oy of anoperating lever 71 at its other end, said hub portion 7 O being free torotate on said spindle 68. Interposed between said hub portion and anladjacent end face of said block 66 is a ratchet wheel 72 which issplined to said spindle 68. The purpose of said tensioning means is 'totighten the wire that has previously been passed around a box or baleand as one end of the wire is clamped in the star drum 69, it becomesnecessary to impartv rotative movement to said drum by way of saidspindle 68, but as the operating lever is adapted to be oscillated itbecomes necessary to provide means for rotating said spindle when saidvlever is operated in one direction and for holding said spindle in astate of quiesc'ence when said lever is raised from the position shownin Fig. 3 to a point for the commencen'ient of its working or downwardstroke. endk it is proposed to provide spring-pressed dogs 73 and 74,the former being slidably arranged in a housing 75, preferably castintegral with said lever 71, while the latter is slidably arranged in abored standard 76, see Figs. 2, 3 and 7. An inspection of said Fig. 3will instantly reveal that when the lever' 71 is elevated, saidspring-pressed dog 73 rides over the teeth in said ratchet wheel 72 andas said hub portion 70 of said lever 71 is free to rotate on saidspindle, no motion is imparted to the latter. During this operation saidspring-pressed dog 74 intimately abuts said teeth of ratchet wheel 72and holds the same stationary. l/Vhen the lever 71 is lowered the dog 73engages the teeth of the ratchet wheeland rotates the latter and thestardrum aliiXed to said spindle 68.

The braking means referred to comprises a lever 77, pivotally supportedby the side of the casing 43, as indicated at 78, the upper end of saidlever extending through a slot 79 in said casing, (see Fig. 2), where itis bent to lie adjacent the handle 80, (see Fig. 4), for convenientoperation. The other end To this 'TIO Lso

of said lever 77 is` provided with` a projection 81 which is normallyengaged Within an opening 82 of said spur gear 5, the engage.- mentbeing positive injview of the spring 83 having one end affixed to saidlever, above its pivotal point, while its other extremity is an choredto a side wall of the casing 43 as indicated at 84 in Fig. 3. lVhen theprojection 81 is entered into said opening 82, the device is inoperativeand hence it is necessary to remove the aforesaid engagement'before thehandle 41 may be rotated. Vhen the proj ection has been removed saidgear 5 may be rotated and the projection glides along the face thereof,but when the opening once more registers with said projection, therenewed engagement automatically stops the machine. Reference will bemade to this featurev hereinafter. f I f In using the device, the sameis placed on a box or bale and one end of the wire is placed on theledge 59 after the handle 51 of the head 50 has been slightly elevated,'and as pointed out hereinbefore, said elevation of said handle alsoraises the head of latch 61 so that the end portion of the wire may beexpeditiously handled. `When the handle is released it drops downwardlyand the pointed pin 56 abuts the end portion of the wire and at the sametime the latch is dropped to the position shown in Fig. 4. The wire isnow inserted through the opening 4() of the block 22 and into the radialslots of the barrels Q9 and 30 and ofthe rotativeelement 27. The wire isthen carried around the boX or bale, then beneath the cutaway portion inlatch 61, thence into the slots in said barrels and rotative element 9.7and finally caught behind the projections- S5 of said star drum 69, asshown in Fig. 1. 1 1 rl`he star drum 69, hereinbefore referred to,isunique in construction, and is'provided with a plurality ofprojections 85, which are arranged to define a plurality of peripheralopenings 86, (see Fig. 6) for the rinsertion of the wire as pointed outhereinbefore. In practice the end of the wire (see Fig. 1f) is passedthrough convenient openings with its end protruding as shown, while theend portion of said wire abuts the faces of the contiguous projectionsand is clamped thereto during the tensioning operation about to bedescribed.

As pointed out hereinbefore,-said lever -71 is adapted to impart anintermittent oscillatory movement to said spindle 68 and its affixedstar drum 69 and it will be,v remembered that said lever was free to beelevated without affecting the ratchet wheel and that the lowering ofsaid lever imparted the necessary movement. fHence, when the end portionof the wire is caught between the projections 85 of said star drum 69,as aforesaid, the lever 71 is elevated until the detent71a, (see Fig.2)- abuts the face portion 87 of the extension 8S of said standard v76,(see Figs. 2 and 7), said spring-pressedv dog 73 riding over the teethof the ratchet wheel 72. The aforesaid engagement between the detent 71aand the face portion 87 limits the elevated position of said lever andas the same is lowered the dog 73 engages the ratchet wheel, rotatingthe star drum 69 and exerting a pull on t-he wire in the latter. rFhelever 71 is again elevated, but the ratchet wheel is locked fromrotation in view of the engagement by the springpressed dog 74 and whenthe lever is again lowered the ycontinued rotation of the star drumfurther. pulls on the wire and binds the enveloping portion' thereofaround the boX. The aforesaidfoperation is continued untilsuiicienttension is secured. f

Upon inspection of Figs. 2 and 7 it. will be noted that the upperportion of said extension S8 is beveled, as indicated at 89 to afford arestingiplace for said lever 71 when the samejis in' the-positionillustrated. It is also pointed `out that as the star drum is rotatedthe end portion of the wire shown in Fig. l'encounters the projection orknob 90 which bends oversaid end portion and as the rot-ation continuesthev end portion contacts another knob 91 and is 'positioned as shown inFiglll. .This arrangement firmly clamps the wire and the bending of theends'thereof prevents injury to the operators hands.

During the tensioning operation the pull exerted on the end of the wireplaced under the pointed pin 56, of the gripping mechanism, causes saidpin to `dig deeper into the wire and thus the 'same is firmly vclampedin that the greater the pull on thewire by the tensioning means, thegreater the gripping action attending the pull. l

At present the twisting operation is about to begin and it will beobserved that the wire is properly tensionedl around the box or bale andthat the overlapping ends ofsaid wire are arranged in two-strandrelation within the slots of said barrels 29 and 30 and the radial slotof said'rotative element Q7. In other words, the overlapping ends of thewire are in juxtaposition within said slots and await the operation ofthe crank 41 to twist the overlapping ends and shear oil the undesiredportions ofthe wire.

The lever 77 is operated to free the projection 8l from the opening 32thus freeing the spur gear5 and permitting its rotation when the crank4l is turned. of said gear 5 is in the directionv of the arrows in Figs.7 and 8, and this movement is imparted to said rotative element 2S inwhose slot 35 the wire is positionedin a two strand, juxtaposedrelation. It will beremembered that the wireis similarly positioned inthe slots 38 and 39 of said barrels y29 and 30 and as this latterarrangement in said slots remains constant lduring the twistingoperation, it is obvious that the torque applied to The rotation thewire is due to the rotation of said-'element 28 andthe slots 38 and 39,in which slots the ends of the wire are clinched. The num# ber of twiststo be imparted to the wire may be varied in accordance with thepre-determined ratio between the gears 5 and 28, but in the presentinstance said gear 5 makes one completerevolution during the twistingoperation. During the twisting operation', the projections 9 carried byhubs 7 and 8 swing through the recesses 92 in the oscillatory arms 14and 15, see Fig. 8), the rollers 93 establishing peripheral contact withthe hubs 8 and 7. Eventually the projections 9 approach the rollers 93and as they contact the same, said oscillatory arms 14 and 15 are rockedto the position indicated in Fig. 8, and the cutters descend to clip olfthe undesired ends of the wire, the cutter 19 cutting oil the end heldby the gripping mechanism,

while the cutter 19a clips od the end engaged in the star drum. Afterthe projections 9 have operated the oscillatory arms, as aforesaid, andare back to the position shown in Fig. 7, the rotative member 28 turnsslightly and twists the ends of the cut wire, one up and one down, asshown in Fig. 13, and by this time the projection 81 in said lever 77enters the opening 82 in said gear 5 and stops the machine.

The device may be removed from the box or bale by elevating the handle51 of the gripe ping mechanism which throws out the piece ot wiregripped beneath the pin 56 and as the elevation of said handlealso'raises the latch 61, the device may be readily 'removed from saidbox, thus leaving the wire in proper twisted relation therearound. Whenwire is taken from a coil the handle 51 `is not raised after the wirehas been placed around the boX or bale. The machine is taken away fromthe wire leaving the wire from the coil under the gripping pin 56 andbefore the machine is taken away the latch 61 is raised with the vlinger and the machine is pushed away from the wire leaving the endthereof from the coil under the pin 56 operated by handle 51.

The operator places the device on anotherk boX or bale, raises thehandle 51 and then pulls the wire around said boX, pullsthe handle 51that holds the pin 56 to slight pinch the wire and then the end of thewire that has been brought around the box back in the star drum 69 inthe slot or opening 86.

When the star drum starts to tighten the wire it pulls the pin 56against the stop pin 54 cutting an indentation into the wire during thetightening thereof. The end oi the wire is placed around the box broughtup to the device again and slid underneath the latch 61.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, each of the oscillatory arms is provided witha spring 94 which extends from each of said arms to a pin 95 rising fromeach of the standards 2 and 3. Said springs serve to return saidoscillatory arms to their normal positions, shown in Fig.-7, after thepassage oit' the projections 9.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the crank41 is position-ed a good distancefrom the side ot the casing to allow a clear space and to prevent thehandle 96 from striking the box' or bale. Said lhandle 96 is preferably`covered with rubber or other resilient material and thevcarrying handle80 also has'a cov ering of rubber as indicated at 97 in Figs. 4 and 5, alarge stud screw 98 passing between th-e lugs 99 and 100. As shown inFig. l a clear space is provided below the carrying handle 80 when thedevice is to be transported. In Fig. 14 the dotted lines 101 indicatethat the knobs 90 and 91 may be undercut to receive the end portion ofthe wire.

It will, of course, be understood that the barrels and their associatedparts may be substituted for others oi varying dimensions when diierentsizes of wire are to be twisted.

The casing 43, hereinbcfore referred to, is constructed of light-weightmaterial and presents an open bottom whereby the same may be insertedover the mechanism, the bottom edge being provided with flanges, asindicated at 102, in Figs. 8 and 4 for the reception of a series otscrews 103 whereby said casingmay be secured to the base 1. When thecasing is inserted over the mechanism, the lever 77 is retracted to passover the gear 5 until it registers with the opening 82 in said gear 5.The rear portion or" said cas ing is inset as shown at 104 and isfurther recessed as shown at 105 to lit over the pillow block 66. Thefront portion of said casing also recessed, as shown at 106 to lit overthe star drum 69, and as shown in Fig. 1 the medial front portion isslotted at 107 and 108 to permit the movement of the oscillatory arms 14and 15, the slot 108 is continued laterally, as indicated at 109 toexpose the major portion of the gripping mechanism and the latch.

From the foregoing it is apparent that l have developed a device whichis compact and which may be readily transportedL for applying and aixingthe wire straps to a box or bale. ln View oi the provision of the novelgripping mechanism, and the star drum, associated with the tensioningmeans the overlapping ends ot the wire are main tained in propertwo-strand relation within the twisting means and in view of thecooperation existing between the said gripping mechanism and the latchmeans, the devic may be bodily removed from the box after the twistingand severing operations.

lVhile the present is a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of theinvention it is to be understood that the invention is hot limo: Ud

r. v Us) ited thereto, as various changes in the minor details ofconstruction, proportion, and arrangement of arts may be resorted towithto increase the clamping action of said gripping mechanism as .thetension is increased, means for twisting the wire, rotative means foroperating saidv twisting means, cutters operable by said rotative meansand adapted f to sever the free ends Vof the twisted wire and latchmeans operated by said gripping mechanism to permit the removal of thewire from'the twisting means. y f

In testimony whereof I `aiiX my signature.

EARL D. TUBES.

